Plot to open fire at Hindu temple near Chicago foiled, 19-year-old arrested

A plot for a mass shooting at the Sri Venkateswara temple in Aurora, near Chicago in the US state of Illinois, has come to light. A 19-year-old youth is said to have reached the temple premises carrying a weapon. His gun jammed at the last moment, averting a major tragedy.

American police arrested the accused immediately. He was produced in court on October 14. He has been booked on serious charges, including making terrorist threats and unlawful possession of a dangerous weapon.

The incident has spread fear and concern among the Indian-American community and non-resident Indians. Raja Krishnamoorthi, an Indian-American member of the US Congress, has taken the incident seriously. He has strongly demanded firm legal action against anti-India and anti-Hindu hatred spreading on social media. He said hateful content circulated on the internet is radicalising young people and has become a major threat to society as a whole.

Looking into the case, Krishnamoorthi said the accused youth had become deeply radicalised because of his surroundings and, in particular, inflammatory content on social media. According to the investigation report, the accused had earlier discussed attacking and killing Indians with an associate.

Krishnamoorthi cited several research reports. According to him, hateful posts and content on social media against the South Asian community (Indians, Hindus, Sikhs and others) have risen by more than 240 per cent in recent times. He directly accused big tech and social media companies of making huge profits from the traffic that hateful content brings, while failing completely to control such dangerous content. He said legal protections need to be reformed immediately to hold these companies accountable.

The incident drew reaction in India too. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal expressed deep concern. The Indian government has appealed to the US administration to ensure the safety of the places of worship and the lives of Indian citizens, Hindus and other minority communities living there.

The India Caucus in the US Congress has also taken a firm stand. Members of the caucus have asked the FBI and the US Department of Justice to investigate the matter thoroughly as a hate crime. They said it was necessary to find out whether anyone, online or offline, had encouraged or helped the accused in the plot. They also demanded an immediate increase in security around Hindu temples, Sikh gurdwaras and other South Asian places of worship.

Krishnamoorthi went on to say that people should unite against hatred of every kind rather than confine themselves to one community. In his view, political and social leaders in the US should, with one voice, strongly condemn every hate incident targeting Indians, Hindus, Muslims, Jews, Sikhs, Black people, Hispanics, women and the LGBTQ community.